


Sign.

by CharWright5



Series: House of Wolves [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Character Development, Humor, Original work - Freeform, Other, Werewolves, brothers being brothers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 06:32:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6970054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharWright5/pseuds/CharWright5
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“It's a sign,” he spoke matter-of-factly, shrugging a shoulder as his shook his head to wordlessly say how very fucking obvious that should've been. Sure as shit wasn't a llama.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sign.

**Author's Note:**

> Random exercise in character development for my original Werewolf characters and the series they belong to, _House of Wolves_. Nothing more than a silly lil thing to practice and flesh them out more.

“What. The fuck. Is that?”

Okay, totally not the reaction Keir Bodolfson was hoping for, but hey. It wasn't a “no”, so that was pretty cool.

Running a hand through his brown hair, he trained his gold eyes down at the sign he held in his hands, reading the words once more before switching his focus back to his older brother. Kinda older brother. Funny how much a difference five minutes could make in one's life. If Keir had been a little closer to their mom's cervix then he would've been born first and ended up as Chief Alpha of the Were-Wolves, rather than Arik.

Who was currently standing behind his desk with his eyebrows raised and silver eyes wide, lips parted in expectation.

“It's a sign,” he spoke matter-of-factly, shrugging a shoulder as his shook his head to wordlessly say how very fucking obvious that should've been. Sure as shit wasn't a llama.

Although that would've been cool.

And there went Arik's hand smearing down his face. “I can see that,” the blond replied calmly, slowly lowering the framed photo he'd just pulled out the moving box. “But why do you have it?”

Keir crossed the hardwood floor, Converses silent, fitted black jeans soundless, wallet chain jangling against his thigh. Clearly didn't lend itself to the whole ninja thing he had going on, with the black tee covering his torso but whatever. Sometimes sacrifices had to be made for style.

Flopping down onto one of the two red leather chairs opposite his brother's desk, he got good and comfy, legs splayed as he slumped. Arik's eyebrows went up in question again, the formal training their father had put him through probably screaming inside his head at the improper decorum his Second-in-Command was showing with his casual position. Whatever. The blond could kiss his ass. This wasn't a Council, there weren't any other Chief Alphas―or even regular Alphas―in the room with them, and it sure as shit wasn't a show for their Species. Fuck formalities at that moment. He was in his own house so he was gonna sit how he wanted to.

Well, the house he shared with his four siblings at least. Their _new_ house at any rate. 'Cause Arik had decided that he needed a sabbatical only teen years--which considering their thousand year lifespan was the human equivalent of ten months--after their father's passing and had moved them all to the States for an indeterminate amount of time so he could hide out from his responsibilities with his tail tucked between his legs.

'Course the guy hadn't used those exact words and would never admit that was why he wanted to leave, but Keir could tell. He wasn't sure if it was a triplet thing or just having been raised with him, having spent over two and a half centuries around him and learning every single little hint and clue and giveaway that his brother had. No matter the case, Keir could tell there was more to their move than just needing a change of scenery.

For starters, they could've moved to any place else in Europe, land that was technically Were-Wolf territory and theirs to rule over―not that the humans were aware of that, but not the point. But instead, Arik had taken them all to the US, Were-Grizzly territory, a continent that was run by a Species that was in a sort of Cold War with Wolves.

The second obvious sign of Arik's true intentions was the fact that he said he was moving by himself and that the rest of them “didn't have to come with”. Yeah right. An Alpha couldn't be without his Beta, Tore was too loyal not to follow Arik anywhere, Gunnar had just gotten out the Army and was trying to rebond with his family after having been gone for so long, and Rowyn wasn't about to be left alone. The five of them were a Pack and Pack sticks together.

Blondie clearly lived up to his hair color and forgot all about that.

Refocusing on the moment, Keir watched his brother turn to him, arms folding over his torso, pulling his worn out Minnesota Timberwolves shirt tight against his flat chest and arms. The brunet ran a hand through his already mussy hair, scratching his scalp as he went before holding the sign up on display again.

“Found it at some store in the mall,” he explained, smirk pulling up the corners of his lips. “Thought it'd be cool to put it at the front fence, give people a warning, ya know?” He wagged his eyebrows in a joking manner, peering down at the sign again.

“ _WARNING: Watch For Werewolves_ ”

Face smear number two happened as Arik muttered to the Goddess for help before dropping his hand. He narrowed his eyes at his brother, the silver in them hardening, the gold crescent in the right orb partially hidden by the lid. Keir thought of his own eyes, the gold color in the iris, the silver crescent shape he had, just like all other members of his Species, the shape and color designating them as Were-Wolves.

He had no clue why Arik's was a different color though. Then again, wasn't like anyone else had silver eyes. Legend had it that was the color of the Goddess Ronalda's, the deity that had created them, and it was almost an insult of sorts to copy her in that way.

Not that anyone really had a choice about what eye color they had, but still.

No one had ever said anything like that about Arik and his eye color though. Not to their faces anyway. Fuck knew what the rest of their Species said when they weren't around, keeping insults and gossip to themselves so they didn't offend the Chief Alpha Pack. Keir never really bothered with what anyone thought of them, took it as just another part of being their Species' version of royalty.

Arik probably worried himself sick about it, but that's just how Arik was. Just like keeping his true thoughts and emotions to himself. Just like giving bullshit explanations for why they were moving to an entirely different continent on the other side of an ocean.

“We are _not_ putting that up anywhere,” the older brother declared, hands now on his hips.

“Oh come on!” Keir objected, bursting upright, sign nearly flying out his hand as he threw his arms out to the side. “This thing is _hilarious_ and ironic and we _need_ to put it up. We need five of them. We need to get four more and put them up in different places on the outer fence.” His face grew serious, tone grave as he spoke solemnly. “It's a public service, Ar. We're warning the people of the dangers should they choose to hop that fence, especially on a full moon.” He nodded, lips pressed into a hard line conveying just how serious he was being about a serious topic. So serious.

Totally serious.

His brother gave him a flat stare, completely unamused and knowing exactly what bullshit he was trying to pull. "First of all, we don't shift on a full moon. The five of us have learned to control it."

"Right, but the humans don't know that."

"And secondly," Arik kept going as though the younger brother hadn't spoken. Typical. “I'm pretty sure the ' _Danger: High Voltage_ ' signs and the electrified barbed wire will do that job,” he pointed out flatly, arms folded over his chest once more.

Keir snorted, head bobbing with the action, waving his free hand in dismissal. “Boh-ring,” he sing-songed, holding the sign up with both hands. “ _This_ is much better.”

“ _That_ ,” the Leader began, pointing at it. “Is a Halloween decoration and will make us look crazy if we kept it up year round.”

A confused frown and a shake of the head was the younger brother's initial response, not seeing the problem with that. At all. "We turn into fucking _wolves_ , Ar," he pointed out in a 'duh' tone. "Books, movies, TV shows all make us out to be monsters. People dress up like us and call it cosplay. It already _is_ Halloween year round for us."

Silver eyes went skyward, a large hand smearing down his face once more, drawing Keir's attention to individual features. He knew in theory they were triplets. Same parents, same womb, same time, blah blah. For the most part, he leaned more towards the term "fraternal triplets", especially with Arik being Blondy McBlonderson, he with his brown hair, and Tore being more of the raven locked variety.

But sometimes...

Sometimes he could see the fact that they all have their dad's nose, the shape of their mom's eyes, the same damn sharp jawline and strong chin. And all right, they were brothers, they were bound to have similar features. But when he looked close enough, he swore it went beyond that. Like if he photoshopped their eyes the same color and gave them the same hair, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

Then again, maybe not. 'Cause Tore had eyebrows that looked more like fuzzy caterpillars that had taken up res on his brow-bone and Arik had a perma-frown and early onset wrinkles, while Keir actually possessed the ability to _smile_.

"So yeah," he wrapped up, drumming his hands on the sign before he jumped up onto his feet, pointing behind himself at the still open office door, metal now in hand. "I'm just gonna go put this on the gate and maybe stop by the mall to--"

"No," Arik cut in harshly, hand held out in the universal sign for 'just fucking stop' silver eyes narrowed in a glare. "You put that on the gate or the fence or the front door and I swear to the Goddess above, I will send you to England and let Elizabeth deal with you."

The smirk slid off his face, replaced with wide gold eyes and parted lips. "You wouldn't."

Arik just cocked an eyebrow in challenge.

He totally fucking would.

Keir's mind was suddenly inundated with flashbacks of the last time he'd been around the England Alpha Pack's Beta, images of flaming red hair flying, matching fiery green eyes, words being screamed as anything and everything was hurled at him. And in all honesty, it wasn't the first time they'd locked horns in a screaming match, nor was it the first time he'd been impressed by her creative use of swears during insults.

It was, however, the first time it's happened since the two of them had figured their shit out and had come close to something resembling a relationship--until Keir admittedly fucked it all up--leading to the first time he'd pretty much deserved the insults and swears. Was also the first time she'd physically thrown anything at him and he learned the hard way just how much end tables fucking hurt when they crashed against your back.

Also marked the first time her claws had come out. And if her brother-slash-Alpha hadn't shown up to literally hold her back, Keir had no doubt he would've walked away missing a few body parts.

Mainly the one between his legs he was very fucking proud and fond of.

Which had led to the shout-fest in the first place.

And most of the others.

Or, ya know. All of them.

Wasn't his fault he was well-endowed and decided to share the wealth.

Rapidly shaking his head, he got rid of the memories and the way they made his wolf howl inside his head, focusing elsewhere. Except...

"Even if you _did_ actually follow through on your bullshit threat," Keir began, ignoring the way Arik's eyebrows rose ever so slightly at his bluff being called. "Peter would just hold her back again." He shrugged a shoulder, smug smirk on his face as he planted his feet.

The Alpha's expression mirrored his brother's, silver eyes lit up with mirth and scent full of victory. "You forget that I'm _Chief Alpha_. If I tell Peter not to butt in and to just let her have at it, he literally has to do as I say."

Shit.

Goddess damn their instinctual compulsion to automatically follow an Alpha's orders.

Keir's face fell, morphing into a glare. He pointed at his older brother with the sign, jaw working, eyes narrowed. "You are zero fun. Zero."

That brought the frown back. "I'm plenty fun. I'm just not _your_ idea of fun."

"My idea of fun is actually fun," he argued, walking backwards to the door, wallet chain jangling. "You just don't realize it, aren't aware of that fact, because you have no idea what _real_ fun is. And news flash, it's not whacking a bunch of balls with a bat or slapping hockey pucks into a net."

"Doesn't matter. You're still not putting that up anywhere outside the house," Arik declared, reaching back into the box he'd been unpacking before he was interrupted. "Or anywhere outside your bedroom for that matter," he added on with a pointed look.

Shit again.

He'd forgotten that all the time he'd spent around Arik, learning all his tells and gaining the ability to practically read his mind, his older brother was learning just as much about him.

Like when Keir was planning to put his awesome and unappreciated sign in the front foyer so it was the first thing people saw when they entered the mansion.

Still would've been nice to warn people what they were about to walk into.

He was just being polite really.

Zero appreciation.

He waved the blond off with the sign before stepping out the office, leaving the door open as he took a left and headed down the hall to his own suite.

Where he most definitely would be putting up his sign.

Then again, he _had_ been considering getting his own place to being females back to, not wanting judgmental looks from Arik and/or Tore, or deal with the disappointment his younger sister Rowyn would most likely display if she caught sight of his one-nighters, which would in turn trigger protective anger bullshit from her twin Gunnar. Having an apartment somewhere in town just seemed more convenient, not to mention more pleasant for himself, his family, and whoever he was tryna fuck that evening. And if he had his own place, he could put anything he wanted wherever he wanted.

All right, yeah, he could technically do that within his suite, but chances were Arik would at some point come in and judge him then, regardless of what he'd just said only moments ago. Besides, this was a _warning_ sign. He should put it on the front door to _warn_ folks.

Public service and all that.

Keir peered down at the sign in his hand, reading it over once more, smirk forming on his face. Plan in mind, he skipped once before continuing down the corridor, mischief making his steps lighter. Arik could kiss his ass in all honesty. His fucking sign was going up on a front door.


End file.
